TAALK Blog

TIP:When your child is invited to spend time or have a sleepover at a new friend's house, find out the names of all the adults who live in the house. Then take the time to look for each of them on the National Sex Offender's Registry http://www.nsopr.gov/.

TIP:When your child needs a medical test done such as an X-ray, CT or MRI, insist on one of the following: 1) being in the room, 2) leaving the door open and being just outside the door or 3) if there is a viewing window, stay where you can clearly see your child. Don't allow the technician to tell you that you can't stay due to exposure. There's no reason why you can't stand with the technician.

The sexual abuser/pedophile/molester/predator often looks and acts just like everybody else. We often have this vision of the creepy man in a trench-coat who lurks around unassumingly or the perverted looking guy who drives the ice cream truck. However, while some predators may in fact look like those characters, most often, the predator is a "normal looking" member of society. They may even be well respected members of their community. Typically, they are likable individuals who work everyday and would by all accounts be classified as an all-around "nice guy" if we surveyed their neighbors, friends, and family.

The guilty verdict for Jerry Sandusky is a great victory for those who have experienced child sexual abuse. Likewise, there is also a HUGE lesson to be learned by this case and many others. Public behavior is not indicative of private behavior. Thus, we as parents, must be watchful and discerning of adults with whom our children interact. Trust is earned, NOT given. Never make the mistake of assuming that teachers, coaches, doctors, neighbors, or even family members are trustworthy by the mere virtue of their profession, demeanor, or familial status.